White Flames Dance on the Seas: Memoirs of a Surrogate Shinigami
by Shinobi98 Productions
Summary: My name... My life... My world... You will see... I've nothing to hide... just read on, and... try to pass it... pass it on to someone else... everyone must know... what I... did... What they did... Please... You'll see... soon enough... (Contains some minor Ichigo bashing, but is otherwise pleasant.) Originally "The Memoirs of a Surrogate Shinigami".
1. Chapter 1

Yo, yo, yo! It's me again! How y'all doin'?! Hope you like it, this one's a pure Bleach fic. Oh, I don't own Bleach, never will. Tite Kubo-san has the honor.

I might spend more time with this story some days, some days on the other one... it depends on what ideas I have.

On with the show!

Chapter 1

Prologue

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! CRRRRRRNNNNNCHHH!

I yawned and stood up. "Not again. Otousan will kill me. Okaasan too... Kuso!"

I stood up, got dresed, and went downstairs. Otousan was reading the day's paper, and Okaasan was in the kitchen making the rest of the pancakes. My mouth watered at the smell, and I went to the fridge, poured myself a glass of orange juice, and drank it down in one gulp. then, I put my cup in the sink, rinsed it out, and fill it with water. Again, I drank it in one gulp and refilled it. "Oi, Samehada! Save it, or you'll fill up on liquids again!"

"Hai, Otousan."

With that said, I put my glass down, took a seat, and started digging into my syrup-drenched pancakes. Okaasan giggled. "There's more, you know." My father face palmed, and grew a sweat drop as he saw my bulging stomach. "You sure about that, dear?"

"Yes, why?"

"Ummmmm... nevermind."

"..."

I chose that moment to break the silence. "Bye, I gotta go to school now!" I gave my parents hugs and ran out the door to school, backpack swinging wildly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

What the?

I made it just in time for 1st period. I hurried over to my seat, and zoned in on the only redhead guy in class. "Oi, Ichigo! How ya doin?"

Said teen turned around. "Hey, Sharky. I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"... Fine."

Ichigo laughs. "Still got a problem with your name?"

I groaned. "Of course. 'Shark Skin' doesn't suit me."

"Of course it does!"

"..."

Ichigo sweat dropped and chose that moment to sit down. I followed suit, still depressed, and set to working on my novel after the teacher called role. Since it was English for 1st, the teacher didn't really mind. He just wanted to see every finished chapter. I was happy with the arrangement, and had already finished 11 chapters. However, if I ever had writer's block, the teacher mercilessly beat it out of me by making me write essays, a tactic which actually worked.

"Samehada-san."

"Hai, Yasutora-san?"

Yasutora Sado. A huge guy, quiet, and unshakebly calm. Ichigo would call him 'Chado' instead. I have no idea why, but he tolerated it when Ichigo called him that. I was the only person to commonly refer to him as 'Yasutora'.

"Have you had any problems lately?"

"Problems?"

"Yeah. Recently, some people have been in wierd accidents, and 4 students have been... claimed."

"Oh... no, nothing notable happened to me. What about you?"

"Nothing. Just making sure."

"Okay. Thanks for checking, Yasutora."

"No problem."

BOOM!

_'What the?'_

All of a sudden, I doubled over in pain.

"KamiChi-kun!"

I smirked. There was only one person who ever mixed my last names together. The most scatter-brained girl in all of Karakura Town: Orihime Inoue. Not that I don't like her. She's nice enough, but the things she says, especially about food... I get scared thinking about it.

I waited for the pain to subside, then I stood up. "I'm... fine."

I dodged a punch, and looked to see Tatsuki, Orihime's best friend, and one that I think takes steroids on a daily basis. She has no muscle mass, but she packs quite a punch. Anyway, I pulled on her arm, and sent her tumbling into the desk.

She decided that glares were the best course of action. "What was that for!?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "You were gonna hit me. I did what was natural."

"Yeah right." Cue poking head, arms, and legs.

"Stop that." I scowled softly, and helped Tatsuki up. "One of these days, one of us will be sent to the hospital for severe injuries."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

That's when I heard it. Howling, screeching. I was extremely unnerved. I noticed Ichigo shift uncomfortably, and stood up to leave, followed by a small girl with black hair. What was her name, Rukia Kuchiki? Yeah, that's it. Anyway, I chose to follow the two.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I am your savior

I kept at a decent distance. They went to a remote alleyway, opened up a sheltered area, and then Rukia hit Ichigo with... a glove. Rukia flew right through Ichigo, but then I realized that _another_ Ichigo popped out. My eyes widened, and barely had time to hide as they ran past me. I followed them again, and analyzed my carrot-haired best friend. He was wearing a black gi, white socks, sandals, and had a large sword strapped to his back. He ran fast, and showed no sign of getting tired. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped, Rukia alongside him. "Where is the 'order', then?"

"It should be here right... now."

RRRRRRRREEEEAAAARRRRRRRGGGGH HHHHHHH!

I turned around, and saw a towering being that looked like a giant... snake thing. It sported a white mask with sharp fangs, and was contorted into a forced smile. It screeched again, and I noticed that the mask opened, and inside was another mouth. I could sense the pain within that creature, and the raw power, and how it was a destroying machine. However, I wasn't ready to let it kill. I clenched my fists, and ran towards the creature. It looked, and I wanted to stop and run away, but I forced myself to run forward. I jumped, and kicked it right in the face. It staggered backwards, and I continued with kicks and punches to its body and face. Then, when I was about to punch it again, it slammed into me. I flew several feet, and was winded after slamming into a tree. As I watched the thing race towards me, I caught the motion of a sword out of the corner of my eye. Ichigo swung, and the creature's arm was cut right off. It roared again, and punched Ichigo in the gut, sending him and his sword flying in different directions. The sword flew to me, and I swiftly plucked it out of the air. I noticed that it didn't weigh a thing. The thing rushed to Ichigo, and proceded to smack him around. I roared at the snake, "Don't do that to my friend!", and rushed towards it, dragging the sword on the ground. Then, I performed one of the most akward sword-fighting moves I'd made up: I jumped before we met, and began to spin, sword held at a horizontal from my hip down. The creature rushed towards me, and I managed to jam the sword in its mask, and cut through it.

I landed, letting the sword spin with me on the ground before bringing it in a slow upwards slash, then reversing it into a steady downward motion, till it was directly in front of me, just like I'd practised.

I doubled over, feeling something surge through me, and almost knocked me out, but forced myself to stay awake. As I saw Rukia's and Ichigo's faces, I chuckled. "That was... interesting."

Then, I fell, and the world grew black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Samehada Kurochi Kurokami

When I came to, I was in my bed, in the evening, and was staring at the ceiling. I felt a presence enter my house, and immediately decided to get dressed. I walked downstairs, and saw two things. One, Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki were in my living room. Two, my parents looked very serious. "What's going on?"

Ichigo answered. "Sharky... we need to talk."

I blinked. "Ok."

I sighed, knowing what was coming. "Follow me."

I led them to my upstairs room, and offered them the bed. Ichigo stood, and Rukia took the bed. I sat in my favorite writing chair. "So, what's up? Is it about yesterday?"

Now it was Rukia's turn to look surprised. "Uhhhhh... Yeeeeaaaahhhh. Why did you fight it? Didn't you see us?"

"Oh, I saw you guys, but I could feel that something was wrong, and wanted to help."

"The doubling over part?"

"I had felt... something that sickened me. I wanted to throw up."

"... I see." Rukia was clearly not satisfied. Ichigo was deep in thought.

"Sharky..."

I inwardly cringed. "Yeah, Ichigo?"

"I want you to come with us next order."

"WHAT!? ICHIGO, ARE YOU INSANE!?"

"Is everything alright up there?"

I face palmed. "Hai, Okaasan. Nothing wrong here."

"Okay, just checking."

I looked back, and Rukia had her head down in shame, and Ichigo had a large sweat drop. I just chuckled at the scene.

"Okay, I'll go with you guys."

Rukia's head snapped up. She was prepared to argue her point, but decided against it. "You'll have to learn some things first, ...?"

"The name's Samehada Kurochi Kurokami. Ichigo calls me Sharky, but I hate that name. Inoue-san calls me KamiChi, but I don't mind."

"Okay then, KamiChi-san."

I smiled. "When do we start the lesson?"

So, for the next 30 minutes, I recieved a crash course through the world of Shinigami, Hollows, Gigai, Soul Food Pills, Zanpaku-to, Reiatsu (Spirit Pressure), Seireitei, Hueco Mundo, and some other things, all accompanied by Rukia's slightly... childish drawings. I just sat, not saying a word. After the lesson, though... "Okay, I got it all stored in one place. Now, when do you recieve orders?"

This time, Ichigo spoke. "It's completely random."

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-

Rukia grabbed her phone, and said: "We have three Hollows converging a block away!"

Without further ado, she slammed Ichigo's head with her gloved palm.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It begins.

My shock was replaced with indignation as they went to my window. "Hey, what about me!?"

"What do you mean?"

Face palm. "... Take me with you."

Sweat drops. "Oh, yeah... follow."

"Eh? No punching my head?"

"... No. You still have a human spirit, as far as we can tell."

"Oh. Okay, then."

With that, I jumped out the window after them. We ran to the spot where the Hollows were, and I couldn't help but stare. One looked like a gecko, on looked like a deformed bird, and one had the body of a lion... with wings. I just stared. However, I was snapped out of my reverie by the blood-chilling cry that I knew was coming. Ichigo took his sword out, and charged them. I made to follow, but was stopped by Rukia. "Samehada, wait and watch." I plopped down on the pavement, and watched as Ichigo got smacked around (I also smirked. Okay, so I'm a little sadistic.). "Ready to accept some help, oh great Shinigami-san?"

Ichigo grimaced. "Okay, fine. If you think you can do anything."

"Watch me."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Now I'm ready.

I stood, fists up, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. The Hollows charged at me, thinking I was easy prey. Ichigo and I smiked. Time for the fight. One Hollow, Gecko, comes first, eager to kill. I duck under it and it flies into Ichigo's outstretched and waiting blade. Pain ensues for some reason. I hide it, and use my doubled-up form to roll into a kick into Hollow #2s, the birdie's, face, causing it to flip, and impale itself on Ichigo's sword. What was that damn thing called again?

~Flashback~

When Ichigo turned into a Shinigami, I passed out. About 10 seconds later, I 'woke up', if waking up in a world were everything was sideways could be considered waking up. At first, I was scared of falling, but it only lasted for a second when I realized that a world that was made to be like this would not let a passenger die. At least, I hoped not.

Anyways, a man that looked to be in his 30s confronted me. He was lean, and had a strange, dark-reddish-black cape thing billowing out to his left, and wraparound sunglasses. All in all, he looked awesome. Then, I started to feel a strange presence. It was like someone was watching me, but no one was there when I looked around. That's when I realized three things. One, the figure before me was probably Ichigo's sword spirit, because I seem to remember Rukia saying that her sword spirit, Sode no Shirayuki (Sleeve of the White Snow), was a woman. Two: this was most likely Ichigo's mind, because Rukia doesn't have a sword spirit (she's still in gigai form, after all). Three: I was holding a large, black sword, that had no handle, no guard, and was about the size of my body. Oh, and it weighed nothing. The man chose to speak then, at the height of my interest.

"Greetings, Samehada-san."

"Greetings...?"

"You shall know me as Zangetsu."

"Greetings, then. Something tells me you're hiding something."

"Hmmm... I sense within you a great power. How about this: if you complete a test, then I will awaken this power. If you fail, you'll have to figure it out on your own."

I thought, considering the possibilities. "Ok, then. What is your test?"

"Listen, and I will tell you."

With that, Ichigo's mindscape was replaced with a beach.

"Welcome to your mindscape. What a peaceful place..." Zangetsu took a deep breath. "If this is a beach... Nevermind. Your test is both frustratingly simple and brutally difficult. For now, wait for a... special guest."

And so we waited. I went to the pier, and engaged in meditation. I had heard that it helped people find true peace and calm. I emptied my mind, and listened to the sound of the waves, relaxing my body. Finally, I entered a... place. I felt like I was asleep, yet awake, sitting, yet standing, yet flying, all at once. And yet... it could only be described as peaceful, but seemed to be underlined by a current of sorrow. Reaching into the void, I could sense power in a passive state. No, that's not right, I sensed _multiple _powers. I could hear them, voices that called out names. I relized that they were probably the names of every Zanpakuto that has ever been. I memorized them all. It was so beautiful, like the sounds of the universe, of creation. But then I noticed something. A door seemed to materialize before me, and I knew that it was for me. I walked forward, and slowly raised my arm, as if in a dream.

I turned the doorknob.

And I was pulled back by unseen force, a voice that pulled me to conscience. I made a frantic attempt to open the door, and it opened. Just a crack. But I heard two things, broken: "Kyu... Sav..."

Then I was forced awake, back against a rough surface, staring forward into the horizon... and a reddish - blackish cloak and a white cloak, close together.

Zangetsu spoke to me. "Now that you have woken up, it is time for your test."

"Very well." My voice was monotone. I was still transfixed at the beauty of the place I was in.

The other spoke suddenly. "Name me."

Face palm from me. "... Eh?"

The one in the white cloak spoke again. "I am the spirit of your Zanpakuto. However, we are not complete until you name me."

Zangetsu walked forward. "Remember when you said that you could feel something different, something I was hiding? Try to find the name of your Zanpakuto. Then, and only then, will you gain your true powers. Remember: names are power, and not to be taken lightly."

He then created a portal to Ichigo's mindscape, and walked through it without another word. Now it was just me... and a kneeling, unnamed Zanpakuto spirit. What to name him? What could I possibly do? How could I name someone who should have their own name? Then it hit me. What about the names of the others? My spirit partner's name should be unique, not an already-used one. But what? Then it hit me again. That door! Whatever was hidden within that room... I'm certain that it was the name for my Zanpakuto. Then I knew what to call him.

I kneeled. "Rise and show me your face... my partner, my keeper, my savior until the day I day... Kyūseishu!"

My newly named partner did rise, and showed me the face of a 16-year-old with waist - length platinum-blonde hair.

The two of us smirked at each other. "You pass. Shall we go then, Samehada-san?"

"I'll always be ready, Kyūseishu-san. Let's go, shall we?"

Kyūseishu smiled brightly. "Of course, sir."

"And don't call me sir. We are equals, I am not your better, you are not my better."

Kyūseishu smiled even bigger after that, and said in a slightly girly voice. "Very well, Kamichi-san."

"Hahahaha! Okay, okay, Kyu."

Then, I woke up.

_My shock was replaced with indignation..._

~End Flashback~

Ah, Zangetsu. And Kyu - very much like me, we'll get along fine.

Anyways, the griffin-like Hollow that was left was apparently smarter than its allies, but not by much. We circled each other, then I cried out, "C'mon!" I ran forward, my fists raised. I rushed towards me, and I performed a perfect slide underneath it, and kicked so hard that it somersaulted, again being caught by Ichigo's sword.

The battle was won, until a giant monster decided to join for the after-party. It looked like a giant ape, and gave a roar so powerful, that my ears hurt. I've been to some concerts, where I was deafened, but this was just... ouch.

Anyway, after my ears recovered, I said, "Guys, back up!" Ichigo and Rukia looked at me like I was crazy, but backed up; the Hollow got within its arms' reach, after which I showed myself. "You ready, partner?"

"Always, Kamichi-san."

"ALRIGHT! IKE, PARTNER!" With that, a bright flash of light engulfed the area...


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own Bleach, only Tite Kubo-san does.

Chapter 7

Truth

The light threw back the ape-thing, sending it crashing into a building. It got up and roared, but I was fine; I had put earplugs in. Ichigo and Rukia were covering their ears, and saw the earplugs. They began swearing loud enough for me to hear them through the earplugs. _This won't end well..._ I thought.

The ape lunged at me, and I dodged, bringing up my sword, and taking off an arm. Roaring in pain, the Hollow reared up, but I spun my sword at the suggestion of Kyuseishu, cried out, "Sukui!" and plunged my blade into the earth. The result was a large circle of light that appeared when my sword made contact with the ground, and shot large columns of light at random points. Every time a column hit the ape-Hollow-thing, it went flying into the air.

When the attack ended, the ape-creature was severely weakened, not killed. So, I just ran up to it at full speed, jumped, and slashed downward, splitting its mask and the face underneath it in two, causing the whole thing to disolve. As I recieved the creature's energy, I noticed that I didn't recieve as much as I usually did, and nowhere near as much as I should have from a creature on this level. Then, Kyu decided to answer my unspoken question. "Every time an attack connected with that Hollow, I used my ability to disrupt its Reiatsu, knocking it loose, and thus allowing me to absorb the power and filter it into you, making it weaker. It was better than me filtering every ounce of that thing's power at once. I'm not that strong. Yet." This tidbit of info, as well as the unspoken promise of a Zanpakuto companion that only kept getting stronger, made me very exited. I couldn't wait to see what the future would hold for our connection.

I then took some time to look at my sword. It was curved slightly, like a katana, but the inside edge was serrated, and the sword was very long, and the blade itself was 3 inches across, but the edge was razor-sharp. _Nice..._ I thought.

Sweat drops from Rukia and anime tears from Ichigo. "How..." Rukia. "Awesome..." Ichigo. "Hehehehehe... I-TAIIIIIII!" (1) All of a sudden, I was doubled over, reducing the damage from Rukia's attacks. Rukia got my... family jewels, but I managed to minimize the damage, and recovered fast. But still, my voice cracked. "What was that for?!"

"When were you able to do that?"

"What, use a Zanpakuto?"

"You became a Shinigami."

"Yeah, I _know_. I was one."

"I ASKED YOU WHEN, BAKAMONO!"

_Thunk_

"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIII-TTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIII! ANATA WA ITTAI NANI NO TAME NI SON'NA KOTO SHITA NO (2), RUKIA-IMOTO (3)?!"

Rukia had a very evil face on then. "You wanna repeat el informacion, mis amigo?" (4)

The way she said it sent chills up mine and Ichigo's spines, but I still smiled. I call her "Imōto" just to infuriate her; though she was smaller than me physically, she was "Ten lifetimes" older than me, but I kind of doubted it. However, wanting to save what was left of my body part, I quickly changed the subject. She had one hell of a kick. I stood up, then said "I think my... 'Shinigami Form' was awakened when Ichigo was released from his body back in my room."

"What was that energy that came out of that Hollow?"

"It's Reiatsu, I think that Ky... I mean, my ZANPAKUTO can absorb an opponent's Spiritual Energy and power rather quickly."

"What about -" "Well then, what about a fight? I need a strong opponent." Ichigo interrupted Rukia rather rudely.

I said, "Ichigo! It's not nice to interrupt someone!", while Rukia said, "Ichigo, are you insane!? What are you thinking?!"

Then a light bulb turned on. "Yes!"

Two sweatdrops and face palms, followed by "Eh?" I grew an unnaturaly large sweatdrop that had me leaning from the weight. "I said yes. Basically, it is a good way to gauge our fighting skill with swords, and I have a couple more moves to torture Ichi... I mean, experiment with."

Sweatdrops, then Icigo's "YES! I can't wait!" Then a face - palm. "Ano... when and where." Another sweatdrop from me. "Now, I guess..."

"Alright! Let's get started!" Ichigo pulled out his zanpakuto, raring to go. "Rukia, make sure we don't kill each other, ok?"

"Umm, o - ok."

"Perfect." I unsheathed Kyusheishu. "Let's go, Ichigo!"

(1) Itai: Ouch

(2) Anata wa ittai nani no tame ni son'na koto shita no: What the hell did you do that for.

(3) Imōto: little sister. Yes, I am aware that Rukia is a couple hundred years old, but she is rather small.

(4) Repite el informacion, mis amigo: repeat the information, friend. Tite Kubo was a fan of Spanish, so... yeah. I know 'informacion' needs an accent mark, but WordPad doesn't do it. (Yeah, it sucks.)

A/N: Originally, this was part of Chapter 6, but I decided to break it up. For the heck of it, ya'know? Anyway, I need to find some funny stuff... like really, roll-on-the-floor, my-side-is-hurting funny. If anyone has any suggestions (No restrictions!), please PM me, I am looking for to it! Make me laugh, and I might use it to make others laugh! See ya'll soon!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Duel

Sching! Sching! Shccckk!

Two swordsmen could be seen in the middle of the road, if you could actually see them. You see, these two swordsmen were Shinigamis, and they couldn't be seen by the regular eye. They were currently engaged in a very fast paced, vicious match. One, with dark orange hair, was wearing a black gi (1), and was holding an unusually large silver, straight-edged sword. The other fighter had dark blue hair, a white gi, and was holding a katana that was unusually long, and had a serrated inside edge.

They danced around each other for a good 10 minutes before stopping for a breath. "You're pretty good, Sharky." Ichigo said.

I smirked. "'Pretty good', Ichigo?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're fighting style..." I said, before suddenly making a sudden horizontal strike that would have Ichigo split in half, then dropped to the floor to prevent a lunge from peircing my lung. "... is atrocious!" I suddenly lunged forward, and flicked my blade upward suddenly, forcing Ichigo to jump backwards or else he'd have had his chin split.

"So then, Sharky, how do YOU know about fighting styles?" He lunged, and I parried with another horizontal swing that would've removed his knees..

"Well, for one thing, you don't seem to have much control in using your weapon, and you have a wide stance that leaves you with lots of openings. I, on the other hand, have trained with professionals for years. You must find a style that maximizes your strength without sacrificing defence. For example, my technique puts an emphasis on my speed, and make up for any problems; say, if I didn't have enough strength."

"So, how long have you trained? Obviously not that long, because you're kinda slow." Ichigo said, trying to make a jab at my pride.

"... Hmph." I snorted, while parrying a diagonal slash and following through with a flurry of light lunges and slashes, leaving several markings across his body. "That was my 25th hit. I practise my moves, and know how to fight. However, you are an amateur at best with that sword; you haven't scratched me once."

"..."

"Oh, don't cry, little boy; you're being far too sour for a strawberry."

At this Ichigo stared at me in shock, and became angry. His fury increased the speed and power of his sword-strokes, and he was swinging recklessly. I just parried each of his attacks calmly and proficiently; I didn't waste a single move. When Ichigo lunged, I sidestepped, tripped him, and pointed my sword at his neck while he was down, preventing him from moving. "Yield." I said.

"Fine." Was the reply. I helped Ichigo up, and he asked me, "So, Sharky, how long have you been practicing? Really?"

"Well... I've taken kenjutsu classes for about... 7 years, now? That, plus I practice in my free time. What, you want some help? I'd be more than happy to." I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well..." Ichigo began, looking like he ate something bad - probably trying to swallow his pride - before giving a defeated look, and nodding his head in confirmation. "That would be great."

"Alright then! We'll start your training tomorrow, since it's the weekend. I'll figure your schedule tonight."

The next day~~

Ding-dong!

I walked down the stairs, already knowing who it was at the door. "Mom, dad, I'll be going now!"

"Alright honey, but don't be too late!" My mother called from the kitchen.

"Don't worry! I'll be home in time for dinner. See ya!" With that, I took my stuff and left the house, ready for the day of Ichigo's torm- I mean, training. Yes, training.

"Hey, Sharky!" Ichigo yelled unnecessarily.

"Hello, Kamichi-san." Rukia calmly said.

I greeted them both with a sunny smile. "Hey guys! Follow me; we have the whole day to practice. It's all been taken care of, and I have the essentials," I showed them my backpack full of blankets and food, "right here." I walked with them to a small cave in the forest that I had found not too long ago. "Just through here, and we'll be good." I said. I led them through the cave, and, using what I remembered of the place, led them to the end. A gigantic cavern opened up in front of us, filled with bioluminescent (it glowed in the dark) plants. "Pretty cool, huh? I found it myself a few years ago. This is where I used to train until I was stuck in high school." I went to the far right of the chamber, and, with a few taps, found my favorite hiding spot/training spot. I moved the rock that was comfortably wedged to look like it was part of the wall, and entered the hallway-like area. I didn't hear any footsteps behind me, and turned around to see both of them standing there. Ichigo had a look of confusion on his face, and Rukia looked around with stars in her eyes. I chuckled at their reactions, which quickly got their attention.

"Samehada-san… you found this all by yourself?" Rukia asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, I did. I haven't been here in a couple of years, but it's the same as I remembered it. If you're wondering how I got the fake wall, it is because a large chunk had fallen from the ceiling during one of the times I visited. Remember that earthquake a couple months back? Well, it had caused a section of the wall to become destroyed, and I found this passageway. I rolled the rock up here, and, well… this is my personal training ground."

"Amazing…" Rukia said.

"Thanks! Now, get in here." I said, taking them to my hidden spot. The room was perfect for training. The space inside was very large, and almost completely flat, like a giant box. As an extra bonus, the minerals that made up this place were extremely dense. I remember that I had taken a diamond that I had found in here, and scratched it against the walls. The walls were untouched, but the diamond cracked in my hand! Ever since then, I had no problem bringing copies of my swords to perfect my form and strength. Also, I outfitted the place with food, weapons, and even some furniture. I had plans for several of the other passageways that I had dug into. In other words, it was a long-term shelter if there was ever a problem. a home that wouldn't get destroyed easily. I've never taken anyone else in here; it was just that special.

"So, Sharky." Ichigo said. "Training?"

"Ah, yes. If you're ready, let's get down to training. So, in order for you to start, I need to test your fitness. Now, give me 300 sit-ups! I expect you to do them quickly." Ichigo just stood there, staring at me. "Are you deaf?! NOW!" After 15 minutes, Ichigo was panting and sweating. "Good. I didn't expect you to be at this level, but since you are, that's perfect! Now, give me 75 pushups!" I said, giving him a good-guy pose. (2)

"NANI?!"

"Ya heard me! If you want to be taught, then you better impress me! Now, give me 75! Start! 1! 2! 3!" Ichigo fell on his face, arms shaking. "What is this?! No arm strength?! We just started! Start again! 1! 2! 3! 4! 5! … C'mon! You had 20 left! Start back at 30!" This continued several times. Eventually, Ichigo managed to do seventy-five pushups, not counting all of the re-starts, with shaking legs. When he finished, he gave out a whoop, and fell on his face. "I… can't move my arms now… I'm really tired, Sharky..."

"Good job; now your real training's about to begin. Since it's your first day, I'll let you take a short nap."

Ichigo dragged himself onto the couch, and fell asleep as soon as his head hid the armrest.

One hour later~~

"Alright! Your muscles had enough time to heal, and you can now start your formal kenjutsu training. First, give me 100 horizontal slashes and 100 vertical slashes! I want you to alternate between the two, alright? Begin!"

Ichigo forced himself off of the couch, muttering, "Sadistic psycho bastard…"

"What was that?!" I yelled. "You want me to double your strikes?!"

"No, sir!" Ichigo said, wide awake now. He walked up to one of the training dummies, and began to hack at it.

After another hour, Ichigo was once again breathing heavily, ready to drop. "Alright, Ichigo, I think I have a good idea of your physical strength. Your rating is… 65, maybe 75 out of 100. Tomorrow will be the same thing at seven in the morning. Now, let's eat this food!"

We spent the next couple of hours eating, talking, and having fun. Then, I checked my watch, and saw that it was time to leave. "Well, sorry guys, but I have to go. Oh, Ichigo, if you want to accelerate your training, then do another 300 sit-ups and 75 pushups tonight. Rukia, make sure he does them correctly, okay? See ya!" With a wave, I ushered them out of my spot, replaced the wall, and made my way home. The next day was the exact same; however, Ichigo had indeed taken my advice; he managed to go through the exercises faster - and with less trouble.

Things went on like this for awhile. Me, Ichigo, and Rukia would train constantly. Every weekend, I would try to change it up a little. For example, one week would be pure exercise, another week would be going through stances, another week, we would be sparring. During this time, Rukia would teach me and Ichigo how to find hand-to-hand, and taught us about the history, rules, and etiquette that a shinigami is supposed to follow. She also taught us about the 13 Guardian Squads, the captains, the commander-general, hollows, Seireitei, the Spirit Plane, and such. As the months went by, we became the best of friends, and nigh inseparable. We took our training seriously, and, Ichigo, who never did it, and I, who needed a sparring partner, and Rukia, because I knew a few different sword styles that she never heard of, all became extremely good at kenjutsu.

Things would have continued going on like this, until it happened. It was late at night, and I was walking home, when I felt it. An explosion of reiatsu. I focused, and I could sense the reiatsu of Rukia and Ichigo, and three different people. One of them was a little weaker than Ichigo, one of them was unconscious, so I didn't know the full extent of his strength, and the last one... his reiatsu was huge. I knew that Ichigo didn't stand a chance. I went back to my cave, and transformed into a shinigami, already running as fast as I could. Fate was not on my side that day, though. Several large Hollows appeared, and I had to fight as hard as I could. When I finally defeated them and absorbed their reiatsu, I ran to Ichigo. I was afraid. His energy signature was quickly vanishing, and I knew that I wouldn't make it in time. However, I had one ace up my sleeve.

Flashback~~

One day, when Rukia was telling us about the captains and their titles, I asked her a question. "Rukia, what's a shunpo?"

She hesitated for a second, but answered us anyways. "Well... a shunpo is what shinigamis use to travel any distance at speeds greater than the eye can follow. It takes a lot of practice to be able to do one correctly, but..."

"So why don't you teach us?" Ichigo said suddenly.

Rukia just stared at him. "I don't think you two are ready for shunpo."

"Why not? Me and Sharky are more than strong enough; we'll handle it. Right, Sharky?"

"I suppose. It may be useful. It depends if Rukia wants to teach us."

We both looked Rukia: Ichigo eagerly, and me apprehensively; there had to be a good reason that she is worried, right?

With a sigh, she said, "Very well, I will teach you."

End flashback~~

We trained for weeks. I had a much easier time than Ichigo, and practised getting farther away in a shorter time frame with every improvement.

So I, using shunpo, managed to get to where Ichigo's was last. However, there was no one. I scanned the area, and found that he was taken; by whom, I don't know. Tonight, I would sleep, but tomorrow... whoever took Ichigo would pay. Then, we would go after Rukia, and save her too. And whoever did this - whoever took my best friends - would pay dearly.

A/N: How suspenseful!

This is Shinobi-98 here, apologizing, both for the lateness of this chapter, and the previous chapters. I really wanted this story to go more like a journal than an actual story, but that, it seems, wasn't going to happen. Well, at least my storytelling abilities have improved; helping jgresidenevil with his story was a boon. So, yeah... Well, see you next time!

1. A gi is traditional wear for karate training, and "maximizes mobility and speed." (Wikipedia) Also seen on Shinigamis.

2. Did you catch the Might Guy moment? I thought you would.

I'm so sorry that this is late! I didn't even realize that this wasn't posted! Well, Ichigo and Rukia have been taken. Who is the one with the incredible energy? And who took Ichigo?! Next time on White Flames: "Reveangance! And... who's that guy?"


End file.
